Which watches do you wear on a regular basis (if any)? Do you collect watches on either a casual basis (“cute watch!”) or a serious basis (“this is where I spent my bonus”)? If you do have multiple watches, how do you choose which ones to wear? Have digital watches (or other digital technology) changed your relationship with watches?

There was a WSJ story about this recently(ish), mostly about men's wristwatches habits — they're getting more colorful! As the article (gift link) notes:

More guys are clocking the appeal of unobvious designs, according to Eric Macaire, executive director, global buying and merchandising, at British retailer Watches of Switzerland. Lately, he said, his customers are going for timepieces with pop-colored dials, innovative treatments (such as textural or laser finishes) and cases in less-typical materials such as bronze. 

With a little off-menu thinking, you too can avoid the usual suspects and find a ticker that stops short of weird, yet is just different enough to earn compliments. Such stylish conversation-starters can be found at all prices, from a few hundred bucks and up. You just need to know what to look for. 

Nice! But in my experience the whole world of watches (and people who care about them) is a very specific subgroup of old money and people who aspire to that sort of thing. It felt really fun discovering that world back in the day when I hemmed and hawed for years before deciding on a classic Cartier tank… which I now never wear because I prefer my Apple Watch.

(Also, there was an incident early on when one of my babies spat breastmilk on it, and… it suddenly seemed like a stupid thing to be wearing casually.)

So I'm curious — are watches status symbols to you? Are they a mode of expressing your personality so much that you swap them in and out for different occasions? Or are you more utilitarian with a basic Apple Watch or other wearable tech that tells the time? (Or are you anti-wrist watch altogether and just rely on your phone or computer screen?)

The post Which Watches Do You Wear in 2024? appeared first on Corporette.com.

When you first start working, how do you build a tasteful jewelry collection for work — one that's interesting but still polished? Reader A wonders…

I come from a decidedly non-professional background, and most jewelry I've bought has either gone out of style in a month or been so cheap I feel it doesn't fit with my upgraded wardrobe. I don't want to look like I'm loaded down with bling, but I also don't want to look like my grandmother. Do you have suggestions for classic pieces that I can wear to school and then to summer internships? My particular school is extremely competitive (aren't they all?) and many women dress in business casual every day.

How to start building a jewelry and accessories wardrobe is a great question, and something I struggled with when I started in BigLaw. My previous jewelry collection was a mix of thrifted/self-made/funky — and at first, I didn't see any real problem mixing it with business suits. Then one day I got called into a Big Meeting. Great, I thought, I'm wearing a basic black suit and a simple blouse.

My confidence disappeared sitting in the VIP's office, as I became acutely aware of the statement ring I'd chosen to wear that day: a large green agate ring (we're talking 2″ long) on a chipped, undetermined piece of metal. I'd paid $20 for it at a DC flea market. What must he think? I wondered. I wound up turning it to face my palm as I took notes and asked questions about the assignment.

Our Latest Favorite Jewelry for Work

Hunting for great jewelry for the office? As of 2024, we're long been fans of affordable brands like Mejuri and Jenny Bird, as well as mid-tier brands like Monica Vinader, David Yurman (especially this line), Dana Rebecca, and Stephen Dweck. For our $.02: spend money on things like a good watch (or watch strap), gold or diamond earrings, a pearl necklace, and more. Some of the earrings we've featured recently:

And some of the necklaces:

Our Favorite Jewelry with Mixed Metals

These “bridge pieces” can be a great way to be more confident if you're mixing metal jewelry!

As of 2024, some of our latest favorite brands of jewelry where you can reliably find mixed metal jewelry include Mejuri's “Duet” line, The Posh Tech, Jenny Bird, and David Yurman.

Our Favorite Ways to Store Jewelry

Psst: here are my latest favorite ways to store jewelry…

How to Build a Tasteful Jewelry Collection for Work

I'm curious to hear what readers say here, but I'll offer a few suggestions:

– Noise is never good.  Clinking bracelets, tinkling earrings… if anything you're wearing makes noise when you type or when you're walking down the hallway, then think twice before buying it for or wearing it at the office. I always think of that scene in Working Girl when Melanie Griffith's character is wearing way too many clanky bracelets.

– Less is more when you're just starting out, at least in terms of quantity. Get 1-3 pairs of earrings in good metals (for your own comfort and health) and build from there. Think diamond or pearl posts, or very small hoops that “hug” your ears — I often find the huggie earring to be the most comfortable for taking phone calls. I often think about that quote about how you should take one accessory off, every morning, before leaving the house — I tend to wear no more than 3 at a time for work, maybe 4. (Watch, earrings, necklace. Ok, fine, 4: my wedding rings.)

– Avoid bling.  A few weeks ago I sloppily wrote about not liking diamonds for the office. Clarity was not my friend that day, what can I say. To be clear now: I have no problem with diamond studs, diamond huggies, diamond rings (engagement rings or tasteful right-hand rings). But I think dangly diamond earrings are inappropriate for the office, diamond-bedazzled watches, or other cocktail-type diamonds. (To be honest, we're probably not talking actual diamonds here but faux look-alikes on cheap jewelry).

– Wear a watch, at least when you're just starting out. It doesn't have to be an expensive watch, but I think it does subtly communicate to people that you're responsible, aware of time, and other good traits.

– Have a nice-looking set of pearls (whether faux or real) for those days where you don't know what to wear but want to wear something.  They look nice on interviews, and I always seem to notice other women wearing them at major networking events like conferences and gala dinners. You will get use out of them. If you're uncomfortable with pearls, there are many solid-looking but basic gold or silver necklaces out there.

– Don't be afraid to show personality, but don't let it distract from the professional traits you want to show at the office. For example, some of my jewelry is fun, some of it is edgy, some of it is a little wacky — I tend to try to have more fun by mixing colors (e.g., a purple dress and a green necklace) than I do in wearing aggressive pieces that don't go that well with a working wardrobe anyway. 

The Best Jewelry to Wear to Work in 2024

These are some of the pieces we've featured for our coffee breaks, as well as some best-sellers and reader favorites — which are yours?

Mejuri

Mejuri has a number of small hoops among their bestsellers; I like the small gold beads that make up the front part of these hoop earrings.

They’re available for $148 in 14k white or yellow gold “finished in rhodium plating, the alloy that gives our pieces its beautiful, subtle hue.”

Bony Levy

I'm always a fan of the “huggie earring” for work — these 14k gold huggies from Bony Levy look perfect.

They’re $195 at Nordstrom. (The brand has a bunch of 14K earrings from $150-$695+.)

Looking for something similar? Mejuri has a number of solid gold hoops that start at $38, and these $99 diamond huggies from Quince are “crafted in 14K” and available in white and yellow gold. Meanwhile, these simple 14K gold earrings from Bony Levy are getting great ratings at Nordstrom and are only $150.

Julie Vos

I still like a little color in my jewelry, and these best-selling earrings from Julie Vos fit the bill. They're $165 at JulieVos.com, and come in 10 colors. (You can also get them as clip-on earrings if you prefer.)

Monica Vinader

We've featured a number of different pieces of jewelry from Monica Vinader's popular “Riva” line – I own these dangly diamond earrings myself and consider them to be a great everyday piece.

The pictured earrings are $450, available in silver and gold.

Dana Rebecca Designs

If you're a fan of delicate but witty jewelry, Dana Rebecca Designs gets a ton of great reviews at Nordstrom.

As Kate noted, “I really like the brand's designs because they're understated but beautiful. They could work at the office, for a dressy date night, or at a gala or other special event. We're entering charity gala season, after all! (That makes me sound like a socialite philanthropist … but no.)”

The products range from $220 to $3500+; the pictured star necklace is $355.

Lagos

Lagos has a number of affordable-ish pieces with beaded details, as well as pearls — these particular earrings look a LOT more expensive than $600, in my opinion! They’ve got rave reviews on Nordstrom’s site. One reviewer noted, “They hang off the ear in just the perfect graceful style to make them a beautiful and elegant accessory for any outfit!”

A number of reviewers noted how wearable the earrings are — day, evening, casual, cocktail, etc., and one reviewer even stated they were “much more beautiful than the online photo relays … they are delicate, but substantial.”

I really love these. They’re $600 at Nordstrom. (Ooh, it looks like Lagos has a lot of pearl jewelry that you can mix and match.)

David Yurman

If you're a fan of bigger jewelry, but aren't sure where the line is between gaudy “cocktail jewelry” and tasteful work jewelry, David Yurman's jewelry (particularly the Châtelaine line, such as the ring pictured above) might be for you.

The line is incredibly highly rated, and over and over reviewers note how much they love the ring because it's the perfect statement piece but sedate enough for every day wear.

Another Yurman line to note: he has a number of pieces that involve mixed metals, like yellow gold and white gold — they can be perfect “bridge” pieces if you feel awkward mixing your metals otherwise.

In general pieces in the Châtelaine line are $395-$6000+; in addition to Nordstrom you can find the brand at Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's, and other fine department stores.

Suzanne Kalan

Readers turned me on to the delicate, quirky designs of Suzanne Kalan – this firecracker post earring is a great example. The earrings are $1,350 at NET-A-PORTER.

Some of My Favorite Jewelry to Wear to Work

I took pictures below of stuff I've worn to the office, but maybe I should take pictures of what I own that I wouldn't wear to the office — think my giant pink neon bib necklace from Kate Spade, my 4″ long Jill Platner infinity pendant, my large spiky glass red/orange ring, some of the pieces of vintage jewelry that are meaningful to me (the blue glass triangle pendant, a weird olive mermaid pendant), any of my cocktail rings that are more than 1″ long. Do feel free to experiment with color and style. Some thoughts on different things you can try that are outside the fairly conservative advice above:

• statement rings — avoid bling and go for quality, but I still think there's a wide variety of rings that might make a colleague say, “wow, cool ring.”
• stackable rings — you find these with different color gemstones, different initials — make a stack of rings that are meaningful to you.
• signet rings — I think I remember Nina Garcia saying in some magazine that she likes to wear a gold signet ring with her family's crest, on her pinky finger. As someone who doesn't have a family crest (at least as far as I know), I always liked the idea of putting a small bird on a signet ring, since my maiden name means “little bird” in German.
• short colorful necklaces — you can find these at mall stores, on Etsy, at museum stores, at mall stores…
• a simple pendant necklace — if you can go for a good gemstone, or at least something meaningful to you. I bought a lot of my pendant necklaces on great sales at Macy's.
• layered pendant necklaces — this takes a bit of thought but can be a very delicate but interesting look when done right.
• opera-length necklaces — these aren't very “in” right now, but I would argue that they're a classic look. Especially if you can find them made from simple beads, these opera-length necklaces aren't too expensive but they can be worn in a lot of different ways — worn 3x around the neck for a shorter look, doubled around the neck (worn as a choker and a longer necklace), doubled around the neck (for a mid-length necklace), or worn long and tied in a knot at the bottom. I generally think of them as being longer than 36″.
• brooches — these tend to be very trendy some years and not in other years, but I think they're a classic look as well. To be honest most of my favorites are vintage ones that I picked up through the years at flea markets.

– Don't fall into a rut.  I've noted it in my 360 Review of Linda from Better off Ted, and guest poster Emily Ward-Dickerman noted it in her recent 360 review of Mack from The Newsroom — especially with necklaces it's really easy to fall into a rut. I've found that I tend to grab what's out — so if you make a point of putting your jewelry away every night, you can keep it fresh.

When I was working my go-to basics were my diamond huggie earrings (which I honestly don't think were that expensive) or tiny sterling silver huggie earrings, my stainless steel watch, and my pearls. I would intersperse those with a few other earrings, a variety of pendant necklaces, and a variety of statement necklaces.

I've taken a few pictures below of my favorite pieces for work — I'm not saying this is an amazing collection of jewelry, but I think it can be helpful to see concrete examples of what's worked for one woman.

It's funny, looking at them the same colors repeat:  white, blue, red, which is a bit of a surprise — I hadn't intended that! But I know that blue and red both flatter my coloring, and they're easily mixed and matched with other pieces of my wardrobe.

My favorite earrings for work:

Other earrings I've worn for work in the past, and would again — even if some of them are bigger, none move. I always like white earrings because they show up well against my dark hair; I think the two below are both resin earrings from Dinosaur Designs. The weird blue/purple one is actually crushed flowers from my wedding bouquet.

These are a bunch of rings I've worn for work through the years:

These are some of my colorful necklaces, most of them statement pieces. I mostly built this collection after leaving BigLaw, so these might be better for a less conservative office:

And these are some of my pendants (some subdued, some not subdued). I wore most of these to my BigLaw job (all but the big red scribble one):

These are some of my favorite brooches, most of them thrifted:

Readers, how have you built your jewelry collection? What pieces do you get a lot of use out of, and where do you fall into ruts?

Social media images via Stencil. 

The post How to Build a Jewelry Collection for Work That’s Tasteful and Polished appeared first on Corporette.com.

Which are the best watches for professional women? Is it still worth investing in a quality watch, even though everyone uses their cell phone or computer to check time? Reader L wrote in to ask about watches:

I searched your site and found the post on digital watches, but I would love your (and your readers') opinions on non-digital wrist watches. It would be useful to hear suggestions at various price points.

This is a great question. I've written before about how I think watches are still status symbols. Not only do men's magazines all still advise men to go out and spend money on a watch, but I've often been at a lunch with high-achieving women, looked around, and noticed that 8 of the 10 women there were wearing Cartier watches.

In New York — at least among the legal and banking set — Cartier is kind of the first and last word, at least in my experience. My 30th birthday gift to myself was a Cartier Tank Francaise watch, though, so perhaps my perception is a bit biased! (It was a huuuuge splurge for this Midwestern girl.)

Hunting for great jewelry for the office? As of 2024, we're long been fans of affordable brands like Mejuri and Jenny Bird, as well as mid-tier brands like Monica Vinader, David Yurman (especially this line), Dana Rebecca, and Stephen Dweck. For our $.02: spend money on things like a good watch (or watch strap), gold or diamond earrings, a pearl necklace, and more. Some of the earrings we've featured recently:

And some of the necklaces:

What to Look For in a Watch to Wear to Work

If you're spending money on something, I think you absolutely have to love it. So first and foremost, look for something you really love.

Other considerations: look for a watch that will wear well with your daily activities — if you're a chef and washing your hands every two seconds, for example, you want a fairly waterproof watch.

Consider how the watch keeps time, also — for example, if you may not wear the watch daily, you may want to avoid a “perpetual motion” watch that stays wound through your body's motions. The word on the street is you can wear gold jewelry with a stainless steel watch — but if that will make you feel awkward (like I always do!) then consider getting a watch with both gold and silver elements.

Finally, diamonds and other jewels: I think this is more of a “know your region” kind of thing. Here in New York, I would think that a watch with diamonds on it was only for going out — but I have another friend in Miami who wears her bejeweled watch everywhere, including to court.

How to Buy A Classic Watch

I started noticing Cartier watches (and really wanting one) sometime in my late 20s. So I started thinking of it as, “every time I see one and want one, I'm mentally putting $5 into my “watch fund jar,” which helped mitigate the purchase a bit when I plunked down the money.

The other thing to know is that you can often haggle, especially at good watch stores. I bought my Cartier at Tourneau, and got somewhere between 15%-20% off the list price.

(I don't remember exactly how much it was now, but I remember that it was a very quick purchase because I had done so much legwork before I decided to actually purchase the watch, so I think it helped that the salesperson knew she had a fast and easy commission.) 

These days, you frequently see Cartier and other watches on flash sale sites like Rue La La — a quick web search even shows Cartier watches for sale on Overstock!

(Whenever you buy a watch from a secondary retailer, though, be very careful, and know what little things to look for. For example, on a real Cartier watch, the one of the bars on the V in the “VII” is actually the word “Cartier.”)

I know one good friend who confided in me that her parents bought her graduation watch — a Michele — at Costco.

Looking at some previous reader discussions (including this great comment from a reader who has a ton of great advice and confesses that “watches are my thing,”) readers have also mentioned these brands: Omega, Baume & Mercier, Tag Hauer, and Movado. FabSugar also recently did a roundup of 10 watches to wear forever.

Do I really have to buy a $3000-$5000 watch to have a “professional watch”?

Nope. Not at all. Before I got my Cartier, I wore a variety of watches — most often, though, I wore my digital Timex. Learn from my mistakes, ladies — a digital sports watch almost never looks good with a suit.

{related: here are all our posts on wearable tech, including how to find the best strap for your smartwatch}

Beyond that, though, I don't think people notice what watch you're wearing. (To clarify:  Watch people will notice if it's a Rolex or a Cartier or whatever they have, but I don't think they'll mentally “ding” you for having a less expensive watch or even notice the absence of a “good” watch.) 

So for my money, at least, I would stick with inexpensive watches unless and until you were ready to make a “big” purchase. (But if you fall in love with a $500 watch, go for it!)

Readers, do you wear a watch — and if so, what kind is it? How much did you spend on it? Do you notice which watches men and women at your office are wearing (or if they're wearing one)? What are your best tips on professional watches for women?

Social media picture via Stencil.

Stay tuned for some of our latest favorite watches!

The post Professional Watches for Women appeared first on Corporette.com.

Someone wrote to us recently wondering seeking a classy, feminine digital watch. Readers, which are your favorite digital watches for women?

I do not like analog. Yes, I know this makes me an outlier, but there it is. My problem is finding pretty, classy, feminine digital watches. It seems either you get a huge clunky “athletic” watch or a huge clunky “techie” Casio-style watch. I've looked online and everytime I happen by a jewelry store (I even checked out the stores in Switzerland for heaven's sake), but couldn't find very much.

Here's my little secret: I don't actually like analog that much either. Apparently I was absent that day of kindergarten?

When I bought my nice watch I figured I'd sort it out eventually — I'm a smart lady, right? — but it still hasn't become second nature to me.

So now, whenever someone asks me the time I either a) punt and say “Quarter after!”, b) change the subject, or c) check my cell phone or my computer screen.  (Pictured: GUCCI Men's YA114212 I-GUCCI Watch, available at Amazon for $775 (was $1295).

2020 Update: the pictured Gucci watch is now sold out; there are a ton of great Fitbit options to choose from in the “under $150” range, and of course the Apple watch is sold everywhere, including Amazon. See all of our thoughts on wearable tech here, as well as our latest discussion of wearing smart watches at the office and professional watches for women!

It should also be noted that digital watches aren't necessarily a bad thing — they tend to lend a sporty “I like to run” and/or “I am all about precision” vibe to your persona. If those options don't appeal to you, however, there are some attractive digital watches out there. We've rounded up some options…

Psst: stay tuned for our latest favorite watches for work!

Go for an almost transparent band, such as the Baby-G. Another option would be to go for the most unobtrusive strap you can find.

Go for the “I wear mens' watches” look, which can be a great look. One of the things I really like about the pictured Suunto watch is that the strap is leather — a lot of times the plastic straps that come with digital watches can get really dirty; this is a great, classy option.

Go for a futuristic watch. For example, MOMA's “Never Too Late” watch displays the time in 12/24 format as well as the phrase “Never Too Late.” 2017 Update: An Apple Watch or good FitBit might be perfect for this category!

Go for color. Yeah, you're wearing a digital watch — what of it? Go for a really noticeable, fun color such as this tomato red G-shock watch.

Go designer. A few designers do offer digital watches which might be worth checking out, as well — for example, Jomashop has several Gucci digital watches like the one pictured, and Nordstrom offers a bunch of good-looking digital watches.

Readers, for those of you prefer digital watches, what brands have you found? For those of you who don't wear digital watches — do you think any less of people who wear digital watches at the office?

The post The Classy, Feminine Digital Watch appeared first on Corporette.com.